Aeronautical apparatus



Dec. 16,1 24. 1,519,622

A. T. KOOPMAN (NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME A. T. PITMAN) AERONAUTICAL APPARATUS Filed Nov. 22, 1921 5 Sheets-Shoot 1 IL *9 q I a Q I I I I WITNESSES IIYVENTOR a 7 z fllfred Z Btiman,

I BY

A TTORNE YS A. T. KOOPMAN (NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME A. T. PITMAN) AERONAUTICAL APPARATUS Filed Nov. 22, 1921 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 11v VENTOR Alfred 1? lfrfinan,

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS Dec. 1924- 1,519,622

-A. T. 'KOOPMAN (NOW Y JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME A. PITMAN) ABRONAUTICAL APPARATUS Filed Nov. 22, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIMIW WITNESSES ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES PAT ET rri-s.

ALFRED '1'. KoorrvrAN, now BY JUDICIAL CHANGE or NAME ALFRED r. PITMAN, or DAYTON, OHIO.

AERONAU'TICAL APPARATUS.

Application filed November 22, 1921. serial No. 517,144.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED T. KoorMAN, now by judicial change of name ALFRED T. PITMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dayton, in-thecounty of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeronautical Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

an aeronautical apparatus which tends-to re duce to a minimum the danger of loss of life or property 1n the operation of aeronautical apparatus and which is designed to meet and to deal successfully with the various exigencies met inactual practice.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, referonce being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1. is a view in side elevation, showing the invention embodied in an aeronautical apparatus of the balloon type;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a different position of the parts;

Figure 3 is a view insection on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in elevation,

showing the combined braking device and,

parachute employed as the tail of the aeronautical apparatus;

Figure 5 is a view in section on line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the sections of the collapsible closure for the combined parachute and braking clement;

Figure '7 is a plan view of one of the trips employed for effecting the collapse of the closure;

Figure 8 is an enlarged view in section, showing the construction of one form of the external bracing employed for the balloon;

Figure 9 is a view in side elevation of the controlling means for the combined braking element and parachute;

Figure 10 is a view in end elevation of the arrangement shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a view thereof in top plan;

Figure 12 is a detail view in section,

showing the cutter employed for the tube of the means for attaching the combined braking element and parachute to the balloon or the like; and

Figure 13 is a view in section, on line 13-- 13 of Figure 12.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the sustaining means of the apparatus which in the lighter than air type The object of the invention is to provide,

and when embodying the usual fabric construction preferably includes aballoon consisting of an outer casing or envelope 11, and inner casing or envelope 12 somewhat smaller than the outer casing 11 andhoused therein and a hollow pad 13 of semi-cylindrical form interposed between the upper half of the inner casing 12 and the corresponding portion of the outer casing 11. The inner envelope or casing 12 is filledwith hydrogen while the outer envelope 11 and the hollow pad 13 are filled with nitrogen or helium or other inert non-combustible gas. The arrangement is such that the inner casing 12 rises up against the hollow pad 13, as shown in Figure 3. With this arthe escaping helium or the like so that the inner hydrogen filled casing 12 would be protected. Of course, suitable inflating valves and tubes are provided to facilitate the inflation of the several casings.

The balloon 10 is braced externally by means of elongated metallic tubes 14 having slots 15 extending lengthwise thereof. Through the slots 15 inner tubes 16' are inserted and these inner tubes are fastened in any approved manner to the outer casing 11. The inner tubes 16 are fluid tight and provided with a suitable inflating valve so that these tubes may be pumped up or inflated to provide for the securing of the bracing tubes 14 to the outer casing 11 of the balloon. Obviously these bracing tubes 1 1 may be extended completely around the balloon or may be extended part way around the same as found desirable. Each brace tube 14 may be provided with a slotted run way 17 designed to receive a trolley wheel or any suitable form of attaching means so as to facilitate the application of auxiliary equipment to the balloon structure.

The external bracing for the balloon may til take a somewhat difierent form if desired, for instance the casing 11 may have a flap 18 secured thereto and to this fla 18 bracing strips 19 may be applied. In ieu of the flap 18 a tuck 20 may be formed in the casing 11 and bracing strips 21 may be extended through said tuck. Should the balloon casing be made of light weight metal,

the bracing tubes may be welded thereto or.

may be welded 01' otherwise secured to flanges or tucks formed on the casing.

A combination cabin and deck 25 is suspended from the balloon structure by suitable suspension means encircling the balloon or suspended from the bracing tubes" 14 as preferred. The rear end of the cabin 25 carries a rectangular framing 26 in the form of a slotted tube similar to the tube 14. In this tube 26, which is of metal, an inner tube 27 is placed. A plurality of lines or ropes 28 are provided and have their ends secured to the inner tube 27 and to the sections 29 of a collapsible closure designated generally at 30. Of course it is to be understood that the inner tube 27 is pumped up with air through a suitable inflating valve and in a similar manner to the tube 16 and the ordinary inner tube of an automobile tire. The closure 30 consists of a hollow cylindrical body having its end adj accnt the cabin closed and its end remote from the cabin 25 open. To this end the sections 29 of this closure are substantially L-shaped as shown in Figure 6 and include substantially segmental portions 31 providing for the closed end of the body and curved portions 32 pro viding for the cylindrical body portion. The lines 28 are securely fastened to the portion 31 of the closure 30.

The closure 30 is provided for the open end of a combined parachute and braking element, designated generally at 35, which takes the form of an ordinary parachute except that the segments thereof are double walled to provide spaces or chambers for the reception of a gas to render the device buoyant. A hollow inflated sphere 36 .is also arranged and secured within the combined parachute and brake to enhance the buoyancy thereof. Lines 37 are extended from the combined parachute and brake 35 through the closure 30 and through openings 38 provided in the end portions 31 of said closure 30 to a controlling device, designated generally at 40.

The controlling device 40 draws the lines 37 toward and through the closure 30 and contracts the open end of the combined parachute and braking element 35 and brings its open end within the closure so as to render the same inactive or this controlling device may be operated to pay out the lines 37 to permit the combined parachute and braking element to open up and exert a braking action to the desired degree or to be ready for Springs use as a parachute if necessary. For this purpose the controlling device 40 may com prise a pair of rollers 41 and 42 between which the lines 87 are passed. The roller 41 is rotatably mounted upon afixed frame 43 suitably supported on the rear of the cabin and on a platform 44 also secured to the cabin. The roller 42 is rotatably mounted in a swinging frame 45 pivotally mounted, as at 46, on the fixed frame The rollers 41 and 42 are constrained to partake of corresponding rotation by virtue of the formation of the peripheries of the rollers of longitudinal ribs-47 and 48 respectively and which are meshed with each other when the frame 45 is swung down against the frame 43. 'The frame 45 provides a seat for the operator and the weight of the'operator sitting thereon presses the frame 45 down against the frame 43 and causes the ribs 47 and 48 of the rollers 41 and 42 to have bindmg frictional engagement with the lines 37. are provided for urging the frame 45 up and away from the frame 43 when the operator rises from the seat constituted by the frame In order to facilitate the control of the lines 37 a hand wheel 50 is fixed to the axis of the roller 42 so that this roller 42 can be readily rotated to draw in orpay out the lines so as to permit the element 34" to exert a braking function or to render the same inactive. Of course when the element 35 is opened up to exert a bralc ing function it is also ready to serve as a parachute. hen it is desired. to use the element as a parachute the tube 27 is severed so that the same is deflated and readily pulled through the slot of the metal tube 26; and the tube 2?, the lines 28, collapsed closure 30, lines 37, and parachute 35 descend, the operator being netted in the connected lines 28 so as to be supported from the parachute 35. In order t o-carry out this latter purpose cutting mechanism is provided for the inner tube 2? and may comprise an annular cutter encircling the tube 27 and accommodated in a slot in the tube 26. A pull cord or string 56 is connected to an apertured lu 57 on the annular cutter 55 and as shown in Figure 9 leads to a lug 56? on the frame 45 near the operator so that when the operator leaves his seat the movement of the frame 45 exerts apull on the stringto cut the tube 2'? auton'iatically.

When the parachute is brought into action, the operator rises from the seat constituted by the frame 45 and the spring 49 raises this frame 45 and the roller 42 to permit the lines 3'? to pay out freely and the parachute to open up to the full extent. It is proposed to have the closure 30 collapsed at such time in order to insure the opening of the parachute. F or this purpose the sections 29 of the closure are held together in assembly by a pair of semi-annular clamping members 60 having ears 61 held in engagement by clips 62. A pull cord 68 is provided and has branches 65 connected to the clips 62. The pull cord 68 is also connected to the lug 56 on the frame 45 and is operated simultane ously with the pull cord 56 and when thus pulled the clips 62 are disengaged from the cars 61 and the clamping members 66 fall apart to permit the closure to collapse, The ends of the lines 3? a re knotted or otherwise provided with tubular enlargements designated at 3", and these enlarged ends cannot pass through the openings 38. Thus when collapsed, the sections of the closure 30 serve as the connecting means between the lines 28 and the lines 87.

A traction or tow line 75 extends axially through the combined parachute and brake and its inflated sphere and also through the closure 30, and after passing through grooves ll and a2 provided therefor in the rollers 4.1 and 42 is connected to the external bracing ot the balloon. The walls of the grooves 41. and 42 trictionally engage the tow line 75 and hold the same fast when the operator is seated.

When the operator rises, the frame 45 swings upwardly under the action of the springs as and this movement of the frame serves to pull the cord 56 and the cord 63 with its branches 64. When the cord 56 is pulled the cutter severs the tube 97 to separate the parachute from the balloon or plane. Simultaneously with this separation of the parachute as from the balloon or plane, the clips 62 are disengaged from the cars 61 ot the clamping members 60 by virtue of the pull exerted on the cord 63 and its branches 64: and the closure 30 collapses to insure opening of the parachute. The parachute and operator descend safely to the ground.

If desired the parachute may be designed to sustain the weight of a disabled balloon or plane during descent and in such event the cutter is omitted or the cord 56 disconnected.

I claim:

1. In an aeronautical apparatus, a bal loon comprising an outer casing, an inner casing arranged within the outer casing, and a hollow pad interposed between the inner casing and the outer casing.

2. In an aeronautical apparatus, a balloon comprising an outer casing of cylin drical cross section, an inner casing of cylindrical cross section, said inner casing being arranged within the outer casing, and a hollow pad of semi-cylindrical form in cross section, said hollow pad being interposed between the upper part of the inner casing and the corresponding part of the outer casing and containing a supply of inert, non-combustible gas.

In an aeronautical apparatus, a balloon including an outer casing, inflatable tubes fastened to the outer casing, and metallic bracing tubes designed to receive the inflatable tubes to be thereby connected to the easing of the balloon, said metallic bracing tubes having slots permitting the introduction and removal of the inflatable tubes when said inflatable tubes are deflated.

In an aeronautical apparatus, sustaining means, a frame connected to said sustaining means, a combined parachute and brake detachably connected to said frame, a collapsible closure for the open end of the parachute, and a controlling device for drawing the parachute toward the closure or pcrn'iitting the parachute to move away from the same.

5. In an aeronautical apparatus, sustaining means, a frame connected to said sustaining means, a combined parachute and brake, and means for detachably connecting the combined parachute and brake to the frame, including an inflatable tube, said trame being of tubular form and being designed to receive said inflatable tube, said frame having a slot permitting the introduction and removal of the inflatable tube thereinto when the inflatable tube is deflated, and a plurality of lines connected to the inflatable tube and to the combined parachute and brake, and cutting mechanism for severing the inflatable tube.

6. In an aeronautical apparatus, sustaining means, a frame connected to said sus taining means, a combined parachute and brake detachably connected to said frame, a collapsible closure for the open end of the parachute including a hollow cylinder having one end closed and having its other end open, and disposed adjacent the open end of the parachute, said cylinder being made up of sections releasably held together, a pluralit-y oi lines connected to the combined parachute and brake and slidably extended through said cylinder, a controlling device tor said lines, and a plurality of lines between the frame and the cylinder.

ALFRED T. KOOPMAN. 

